If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

A few (okay, way more than a few) words of advice from a well seasoned mother of one child, age almost 7 weeks. (With such a believable opening line such as that, who could believe that, most of the time, I really don’t know what I am talking about?)

1. If the baby is happy, keep doing what you are doing. I don’t care if your arm is asleep or you have a cramp. If she’s not crying, let’s keep it that way. Anything you do to change what you are currently doing could unleash her wrath, and believe me, it is loud and high pitched.

2. Nipple confusion, shimpple confusion. Pacifiers are a godsend. Use them. If you don’t the baby will use YOU as a pacifier and trust me, boobs can only take so much damage before they bleed.


3. Bouncers and baby swings are amazing inventions. When she is really little the vibrating bouncer is very good at keeping her content and sometimes even asleep. When she is a little bit older a swing will serve the same purpose; only it will do the job better.

4. Every new mommy and daddy needs a very large exercise ball. SIT AND BOUNCE. Before the baby is born it is great for dealing with contractions. After the baby is born it is great for quieting said child and putting her to sleep. Warning: your back will hurt. Refer to #1.

5. Daddies are irreplaceable; they will take the baby when mommy needs a break. If you aren’t married, it is highly suggested that you are before having children. I can’t imagine having to do it alone.

6. Though it may be the most expensive piece of cotton fabric you will ever buy, a Moby will allow you to cuddle your baby without using your hands so that your hands can be doing other things. It’s called multi-tasking without injury or frustration.

Man, am I a wealth of knowledge or what? ;)

Baby Z update:

Little Miss Thunder Thighs loves for someone to hold her up so she can stand. Then she dances and wiggles because her hips aren’t as strong as her legs.
She’s got great leg muscles. If she decides that she doesn’t want her legs apart, nothing you can do to try and pry them apart will work. This can make diaper changing difficult at times.
I am hoping that her legs will remain this strong because when she’s a teenager and some guy tries to get in her pants, it won’t work. She will have been taught to keep her thighs together; nothing a teenage boy can do will get those legs apart. (At least that’s the plan. And the fact that she won’t be allowed to date until she’s 20 also might help with the guy issues. ;) )

Luke puts Aslynn to sleep at the beginning of the night. When she’s out, he will put her in the swing (Thanks again Aunt Stefanie!). She will sleep there for about 3 hours (wonderful hours of uninterrupted sleep) and then she will wake up hungry. I don’t put her back to sleep in the swing because I don’t want her getting used to being rocked while she sleeps because then I am afraid she will NEVER sleep in her bassinet.

Z’s a morning person. She got that from her dad – I could sleep in until noon. She’s most talkative and smiley right when she wakes up and after she’s been fed.

I am trying to teach her to do a gargle-coo because all the babies in my family were taught to so do. I am obligated to teach my daughter so that she can teach her daughter and so on. TRADITION!